Assistant Principal James Nocito will be retiring at the end of this school year after dedicating 34 years to public education and three years to Wayland High School. Although he will be missed by staff and students, many are excited for Nocito and his next steps.

“I’m happy for him,” Guidance counselor Jim Girard said. “He’s had a wonderful career working with students even prior to [his time at] Wayland. I’ve known him very well, and he’s a wonderful student advocate. I’m happy he’s going to enjoy some free time with his family.”

Being assistant principal comes with many responsibilities, one of which involves tending to student needs at school. The Wayland community knows Nocito for making every student feel like a part of the community and connecting individually with many of the students.

“I think Nocito has helped a lot of kids,” junior Ciara Murphy said. “I think he has personally helped me. Working a lot with him for the Class of 2020, he has really put 110 percent into caring for every single student.”

In addition to his close connections with the student body, Nocito also maintains strong relationships with teachers at the high school.

“He’s very organized and responsive to requests and questions,” English teacher Nancy Florez said. “He runs a tight ship. I will miss speaking in Spanish to him.”

Although his time in Wayland was relatively short, Nocito’s impact cannot be measured. Girard mentions that Nocito went above and beyond what some may expect of an assistant principal’s normal duties. He is well-known for making phone calls to every family of incoming freshmen over the summer to create a personal connection with parents.

“He’s gone above and beyond to connect with students and families,” Girard said.

For most administration members, the main office is their home at school. But for Nocito, the whole school has become his workspace. With his absence next year, there will be a gap left in our community.

“I think Wayland High School’s culture will be changed next year,” Murphy said. “We all have followed Nocito’s rules. I think that the new [assistant] principal will have big shoes to fill.”

After living in Massachusetts for the majority of his life, Nocito will be moving to Florida along with his family next year.

“I wish him the best of luck when he goes to Florida,” Murphy said. “I think he’s really changed the way the student body uses rules and how we respect rules at Wayland High School.”